Caillet



R. CAILLET 3,123,129

RIGID ROLL-UP SCREEN, PARTICULARLY FOR USE AS A HATCH-COVER March 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OCT.. 51. 1960 INVENTOR RENE CA l LLET RIGID ROLL-UP SCREEN, PARTICULARLY FOR USE As A HATCH-COVER Filed oct. 31. 19Go R. CAILLET March 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 2.5 3a

INVENTOR RENE CA/LLET ATTORN EYS United States Patent() The present invention is concerned with providing a rigid screen offering an even and virtually uninterrupted surface in the closed position, yet which can be opened by rolling up the same. To this end the screen capable of being used for closing a horizontal, vertical or even oblique opening and consists of successive transverse elements hinged onto one another, with each element comprising, in particular, a main ilat section designed to constitute a fraction of the closed area of the screen and a stidening rib which is perpendicular to that section and integral therewith along one of its edges so that, viewed in longitudinal section through the length of the screen, the element presents a general L-shaped section and is capable of pivoting through a right angle relative to each of its adjacent elements to permit rolling-up or unrolling.

The invention has for its main object a screen of the general type described above, which shall be economical to manufacture, be easy to operate, and be capable of withstanding a heavy load perpendicularly to its plane without appreciable sag and, if required, of providing perfect sealing when closed. Furthermore, the qualities enumerated above must be of a durable nature and, in particular, the screen must have good weathering qualities and its elements must remain undistor'rable and retain good hinge action. Finally, the screen must be as compact as possible when rolled up.

in practice, serious difficulties are encountered in seeliing to reconcile the various requirements which have to be met, of which the most important have been enumerated hereinabove. In particular, such provisions as may be made in order to increase the rigidity of the cover in its closed position lead to the necessity of employing costly and bulky reinforcing parts which augment the production cost of the screen and tend to prevent it from being rolled up into a compact space.

in accordance with the invention, mutual articulation of any two elements is effected about two or more hinges the comm-on axis of which is oriented transversely in relation to the screen, and the portions of the hinges fixed to one of the two elements are carried by a support or extension of that element, externally to the corner formed by the t. pronte and at a short distance from the body of the stiening rib, while the other hinge portions fixed to the second element are carried by the inner face of the main section thereof, at a short distance from its free edge. Thus the support or extension, which may extend over the whole width of the element to which it is associated, serves as a rest for the end of the main section of the adjacent element when the screen is in the closed position and opposes relative pivoting of the two elements in the direction opposite to that in which rollingup takes piace. in addition, when the screen is rolled up, location of the common hinge axis at a certain distance from the rib perpendicular to the closed surface of the screen makes provision, between the rib and the main section of the adjacent element hinged onto it, for a gap which is available for reinforcement of the rib outwardly by means of a turned-down portion of the rib or through the medium of a thick bar, or else through the use of ribs consisting of channel sections with outwardly-turned open ends. Such an arrangement makes it possible to confer very great inertia upon each rib for a weight, while the use of standard rolled rice channel sections of low cost for such ribs can prove very economical, since such a channel section is by itself capable of combining the functions of the rib, of the latters reinforcement at its end remote from the surface of the screen, and of the projecting support carrying the hinge portions.

It may further be noted that the projecting support provided over the exterior of the L-proiile of each element reinforces the latter over the hinge area, where it is called upon to withstand the heaviest stresses. Such reinforcement can in fact be supplemented by gussets placed inside the angle of the L-prole.

The screen can be given perfect sealing both between its successive elements, and between its perimeter and the framing used for the opening it obturates. in aecordance with a complementary characteristic of the invention, sealing between two successive elements of the cover is ensured by a hermetic and resilient membrane which extends transversely over the Whole length of the joint and which is fixed along its two edges to the two elements, passing in the process beyond the hinges into the rolling-up side, said membrane being fixed to the main section of one of the elements and to the projecting support or extension integral with the other element. Thus it will be seen that the support or extension assumes yet a further function, in that it protects each joint membrane against direct weather edects, and what the position of the sealing membrane beyond the hinges on the roll-up side facilitates access to the hinges for greasing purposes when the screen is rolled up or unrolled.

The fact that the membrane is positioned substantially parallel to the outer surface of the screen when the latter is in the closed position enables it to be joined without ditliculty to a peripheral seal likewise parallel to that surface.

L1 the case of a horizontal screen rollable onto a power-driven Winding-drum, the screen can be unrolled for closure by a pushing action; moreover, in accordance with a further complementary characteristic of the invention, an auxiliary connection can be provided between two successive elements in order to malte two consecutive wound turns tangentially immovable with respect to each other, thereby preventing an element still wound onto the drum from being thrust radially outwards. Such a connection may be constituted on each side of the screen by means of a link articulated onto the element nearest the drum, said link being provided with a bill capable of engagement, in the rolled-up position, with a housing embodied on one of the elements of the lower turn.

It may be noted that the characteristics of the screen forming the object of my invention are particularly wellsuited to ships hatch-covers, since the latter must be impervious to hosing, be corrosion-prooi' and have an even surface, must offer considerable resistance to pressure and must be capable of being rolled up into a compact space. To this end, a possible embodiment of the invention as applied to a hatch-cover will be described in greater detail hereinbelow with reference to the accornpanying drawings.

In these drawings, i

FGURE 1 is a small-scale diagrammatic plan view of the complete hatch-cover in the closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a partial, longitudinal vertical section showing an embodiment of an `articulation provided between two successive elements of a cover in accordance with the invention.

FlGURE 3 is a similar view of a variant thereof.

FGURE 4 is a vertical cross-section showing the method of tightening the peripheral seal along the length of one of the longer sides of the hatch-coaming FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal vertical section similar to 3 that of FIGURE 3 but showing the addition of an auxiliary connecting link between two successive elements of the cover.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic diagram showing the rolledup hatch-cover, and

FIGURE 7 is a top view of FIGURE 2 with the edge of one element broken away to show the hinges.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the hatchcover illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE l, having a width of 4 metres and a length or 7.5i) metres for example, comprises eleven successive transverse elements hinged onto one another about transverse horizontal axes and designated l through ll starting from the front end of the cover in the direction of rolling-up which will be that in which the elements will be hereina ter assumed to succeed one another. The rst element l is connected via links l2. to a winding-drum i3 whose shaft 14 is located horizontally and transversely, said links l?. being hinged onto the drum, close to its axis, and onto the element l about a shaft forming the front articulation thereof.

Rolling-up takes place by a 9-degree rotation of each element relative to the next, and the widths of the successive elements are chosen so that the front articulations of the elements come to occupy diametrically perpendicular planes of the drum when rolling-up takes place. To this end, the rront articulation of each even element (2, 4, 6, 8, l) is located halfway between the two adjacent articulations, while the successive odd elements, as well as the successive even ones, have widths which increase progressively from the front edge to the rear edge of the complete hatch-cover.

FIGURE 2 is a partial vertical section View of two intermediate adjacent elements such as 6. The main section of each element consists of a dat rectangular metal plate l5 which lies horizontal when the cover is rolled out over the hatch. Along each of its shorter sides, this plate can be stiffened by means of a lateral ridge 16 (FIG. 4) welded to its lower face. Each intermediate element such as 5 is stifened, over the length of its rear longer side, by a rib perpendicular to the closed surface. In FIGURE 2 this rib consists of a folded-back section 17 at right angles to the plate 15, and the edge of this folded-back section can itself be stilfened by a flange 1S hich is parallel to the closed surface and which is oriented outwardly of the element 5. This liange 18 can be supplemented or replaced by a transverse part or bar 719 extending over all or part of the width of the cover and which is designed to increase the inertia of the stiien- Lag rib. Inside the angle formed by the joint between the sections l5 and 17 can be provided a reinforcing gusset 2d.

The rib I7 carries an external projecting support which consists of a steel bar 2l extending over almost the whole of the width of the cover and welded to section 17. Over the outward edge of this bar are fixed the cylindrical hinge portions 22 and Z217 secured to the forward element, vwhile the cylindrical hinge portions 22a of the rearward element are fixed beneath section l5 of the latter, at a certain distance from its front edge 23. The hinge pintles `are shown .at 24 extending cross-wise to the lengt-h of the screen.

Sealing over each transverse joint between successive elements is ensured by means of a rubber band 25 xed, via its edges, beneath the bar 2l of the forward element and beneath the section l5 of the rearward element, such fixing being effected, for example, by tightening the rubber band between its carrying component and xing pieces 26 and Z7. The latter may extend over almost the whole width of the cover and be secured, to the bar 2l and to the section l5 of the rearward element respectively, by means of bolts or rivets. The band 25 passes inwardly (i.e., into the roll-up side), beyond the hinges, so that the latter are thereby rendered accessible from without when the cover is rolled up or unrolled.

FIGURE 3 shows a preferred embodiment in which the stilfening rib and the support for the hinge portions integral with the forward element are constituted by `a channel section shown at 28 whose upper ange 29 is welded beneath the section l5 and extends rearwards. The hinge portions 22 and 2211 carried by this rib are fixed along the length of the rear edge of the member `29, the seal again traversing inwards of the hinges.

FIGURE 4 gives an example of how sealing can be obtained along the periphery of the hatch. Such sealing ca n be ensured by similar means along all four sides of the hatch, and it has been assumed that FIGURE 4 is a crosssection, so that it shows how sealing is obtained along one of the longer longitudinal sides of the cover.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, reference numeral 31 designates the hatch-coaming, 32. its outer horizontal'peripheral border, 33 a flat vertical section carried by the border 32 the length of each of the longitudinal sides of the hatch and the length of its rear side, and 34 an inner frame extending over those three sides and fixed to the vertical sections 32. In the closed position, the sectional strips 16 come to rest on the frame 34. On the rear side, the hatch-coaming is raised to a lesser degree to permit passage of the stiening ribs during rolling-up and lunrolling operations, while the seal is provided at a lower level.

If required, along each of their longitudinal edges, the transverse rubber bands 25 are joined, over the length of a corner-piece 3i?, to a longitudinal band 3S which is tightened against the longitudinal flat section 33 by a pivoting device 36 hinged onto the dat section 32 aboutpivots 37. The tightening action of the device can be ensured by any suitable means. In FIGURE 4, components 38 are shown which fasten, through the medium of yokes 39, onto claws 4d itted to the edge of the cover when the latter is in the closed position, tightening action being achieved by the insertion of wedges 4l between the components 38 4and the devices 36. The components 38 may also be made to traverse the border 32 for retention by a bar 42 fixed to the components, beneath said border 32.

When the cover is to be closed through thrusting action of the unwinding power-drum, it may be necessary to make provision, between two adjacent elements, for a form of connection preventing the forward element from separating from the neighbouring element in the inner turn before the rearward element has pivoted into its opened-out position, in order to prevent rolled-up elements from being thrust radially outwards from the drum.

To this end, on each longitudinal side of the cover, each element 43 excepting the last may be provided, for instance, with a shaft 44 to act as a pivot for a link 45 integral with a bill 46 which is designed to locate, in the rolled-up position, with an abutment 47 on the rear edge of the adjacent element 4S of the inner turn. This link is hollowed out along its length and is able to slide along a pin 49 provided on the forward edge of the next element 5d, being thereby caused to pivot during rolling-up and unrolling, and its bill 46 caused to locate when the cover is in the rolled-up position and elements i3-Sti are all folded at right angles and to dislocate only when unrolling takes place, after the rear element 5@ has pivoted to a sulicient degree relative to element 43 in the direction of alignment therewith.

What I claim is:

ll. A rollable screen comprising a plurality of successive rigid elements hingedly connected to one another, each element consisting of a strip of sheet metal having a flat main section forming a part of the total area of the screen when closed and a member rigidly connected to and extending along the length of one edge of said main section having a dat portion extending normal to said main section and a pair of projections extending normal to said dat portion and on an opposite side of said dat portion to said main section with one projection forming a support for an adjacent section when said screen is rolled up and means pivotall'y connecting each two successive elements consisting of at least two hinges the common axis of which is oriented crosswise to the length of the screen and having a portion xedly connected to the other of said projections of one of said successive elements, the other of said successive elements having an inner face connected to another portion of said hinge.

2. A rollable screen screen comprising a plurality of successive rigid elements hingedly connected to one another, each element consisting of a strip of sheet metal having a flat main section forming a part of the total area of the screen when closed and a rib extending normal to said main section and along the length of one edge thereof, said rib having a short flange extending normal thereto defining an L-shaped end portion, form-ing a projecting support for an adjacent section when said screen is rolled, a bar xedly connected to said rib adiacent and on an opposite side of said rib to said main section and means pivotally connecting each two successive elements consisting of at least two hinges, the common axis of which is oriented crosswise to the length of the screen and having a portion iixedly connected to the bar of one of said successive elements, the other of said successive elements having an inner face connected to another portion of said hinge.

3. A rollable screen comprising a plurality of successive rigid elements hingedly connected to one another, each element consisting of a strip of sheet metal forming a flat main section which is a part of the total area of the screen when closed, a U-shaped channel section being connected to said strip along the length of one edge thereof and having its flanges turned outwards from said strip, and means pivotally connecting each two succesive elements consisting of at least two hinges, the common axis oi which is oriented crosswise to the length of the screen and having a portion xedly connected to one of said flanges of said channel section, the other of said successive elements having an inner face connected to another portion of said hinge.

4. A rollable screen comprising a plurality of successive rigid elernents hingedly connected to one another, each element comprising a at main section forming a part of the total area of the screen when closed and having a rib extending normal to said main section and along the length of one edge thereof, a bar iixedly connected to said rib adjacent and on an opposite side of said rib to said main section, means pivotally connecting each two successive eiernents consisting of at least two hinges, the cornmon axis of which is oriented crosswise to the length of the screen and having a portion ixedly connected to the har of one of said successive elements, the other of said successive elements having an inner face connected to said hinge, a locking device consisting of a link pivotally connected to one of said elements which provides an inner turn of the screen when rolled up and pivotally and slideably connected to said successive element, an abutment carried by said one of said elements and a bill carried by said link which, in the rolled-up position of the screen, is positioned on said link for engaging with said abutment to ensure that, when unrolling takes place, one of the outer elements of the screen shall be rendered tangentially immovable with respect to the other inner element and be thereby prevented from being thrust out- Wards before said bill is disengaged from said abutment by an already unrolled element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,950,874 Atwood Mar. 13, 1934 2,484,286 Groppell Oct. 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 753,056 Great Britain July 18, 1956 

1. A ROLLABLE SCREEN COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE RIGID ELEMENTS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER, EACH ELEMENT CONSISTING OF A STRIP OF SHEET METAL HAVING A FLAT MAIN SECTION FORMING A PART OF THE TOTAL AREA OF THE SCREEN WHEN CLOSED AND A MEMBER RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING ALONG THE LENGTH OF ONE EDGE OF SAID MAIN SECTION HAVING A FLAT PORTION EXTENDING NORMAL TO SAID MAIN SECTION AND A PAIR OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING NORMAL TO SAID FLAT PORTION AND ON AN OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID FLAT PORTION TO SAID MAIN SECTION WITH ONE PROJECTION FORMING A SUPPORT FOR AN ADJACENT SECTION WHEN SAID SCREEN IS ROLLED UP AND MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING EACH TWO SUC- 